Street-railroad crossing



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. J. MOXHAM. STREET RAILROAD GROS$INGu No. 402,470. Patented Apr. .30, 1889..

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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A. J. MOXHAM. STREET RAILROAD c mssme.

Patented Apr. 30, 1889.

Inven'ior,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTI-IUR J. MOXHAM, OF JOHNSTOVVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

STREET-RAILROAD CROSSING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,470, dated April 30, 1889.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J .MOXHAM, of Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Street-Railroad Crossings, which invention is fully set forth and illustrated in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide a crossing system whose members are locked or tied together at their angles of junction at each side of the track by a tie beam or rod.

The invention will first be described in detail, and-then particularly set forth in the claims.

p In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a general view of the invention in plan. Fig. 2 shows the construction of Fig. 1 in end elevation. Fig. 3 shows a cross-section of one of .the rails which form the crossing proper, taken at the line a; no of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows a cross-section of the structure, taken at the line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 shows in perspective one end of locking tie-rod, shown in plan in Fig. 1, the two ends of said rod being of similar form. Fig. 6 shows a cross-section of the structure, taken at the line w w of Fig. 2.

In said figures the several parts are indicated by letters of reference as follows:

In describing a railroad-crossing one track is necessarily supposed to be in existence, to be crossed by another track, and therefore, for the sake of clearness of description, the rails A A will be herein referred to as the crossing proper, the rails B B as the main rails to be crossed, and the rails D D (in line with the railsAA) as the crossing-rails. The crossing proper, A A, is secured to cross-ties M at the points where its base-flanges rest on said cross-ties by means of suitable fastenings through said flanges. The heads of the rails forming said crossing may be of any desired form of cross-section, but are provided with vertical webs a, of suitable form and depth to secure necessary vertical stiffness.

of these webs is prolonged to the end ofits rail A, terminating under a pocket, 01, or other equivalent support formed in the end of its said rail, for supporting the connecting cross ing track-rail D. The crossed rails B rest upon flanged seats or bearings N N of the rails A,

Each

' Application filed September 15, 1888. Serial No. 285,546. (No model.)

liners O 0 (shown in cross-section in Fig. 2) being preferably provided, in order to accommodate the crossing proper to variations'in height of the rails to be crossed. One of two tie-rods, H, terminates at each end in a looking and lifting block, 0, provided with flanges f, which fit over the seats or bearings N in the rails A A. Each of said blocks is pro vided with a lug, g, which conforms to and fits against the side and web of the crossed rail, so that when in place said blocks thus lock said rails against vertical motion or displacement. Said blocks are also each provided on their other sides with a pocket, G, to receive the end of each track-railD, said pockets being cored out or recessed to suit the sectional form of said connecting track-rails.

' The mode of connecting the crossing proper to the crossed and crossing rails is as follows: Each railA is slipped into place, being passed underneath the crossed rails B B in a trench or excavation dug for this purpose. Each rail A is then set upon its cross-tie M, resting thereon upon its two flanges or feet, E E, as before described. It will be observed that each cross-tie M is thrown down a considerable depth, the object being to have its location underneath the cross-ties of the track (B B) to be crossed, for the purpose of non-interference with said track. The locking tie-rods II are next put in place on the outside of the rails B B, the lifting-blocks C resting, together with the rails B B, on the flanges N of the crossing A A. The whole system is now connected and locked together by means of the track-rails D, the ends of said rails being inserted in the pockets (1 in the ends of the rails A A, and slid therethrough into the pockets G, provided in the locking and lifting blocks 0. The end of each track-rail D is held in place in the two pockets 01 G by means of the bolts 6 and F. The hook-head bolts J are now tightened up, if desired; but they may be omitted, if preferred, as the crossing proper is effectively locked to the railsB B by means of the locking tie-rods II.

The action of the car in crossing is as follows: It will be observed that the liftingblock 0 is provided with an overhanging plate, K, Figs. 5 and 6. "When the flanges of the car-wheels reach this plate, they are lifted by the same and the wheels run over the lifting-bloek C on their flanges, instead of on their treads. The treads of the Wheels reach their bearing once more on the crossing A, after having passed over the gap, Fig. 2, through which the Wheel-flanges on the main line pass.

\Vhile it is deemed preferable to maintain the head-levels of the track-rails D and of the crossing A A slightly above that of the crossed rails B B, this is not essential. These levels can be maintained at one point, if desired.

Having thus fully described my said improvement in railroad-crossings, as of my invention I claim- 1. A girder crossing-rail forarailroad-crossing, having a head of anydesired section and a vertical web, and flanges for its support, said crossing-rail being provided with bearings for the crossed rails and for lockingblocks, and with pockets for the connecting crossing track-rails, substantially as set forth.

2. A tie-rod for a railroad-crossing, having at its end a pocket to receive a connectingrail, and a protrusion for fitting into the crossed rail, substantially as set forth.

3. A tie-rod for a railroad-crossing, having at its end a lif tin g-block provided with flanges, as f, to fit over a seat or bearing in a crossing-rail, substantially as set forth.

4. A lifting-block for a railroad-crossing, provided with a flange, as K, for lapping over its bearing on the crossingail, substantially as set forth.

ARTHUR J. MOXI-IAM. Witnesses:

ALFRED S. BROWN, FRANCIS P. REILLY. 

